War of The Gods: Part 1
by ThePranksterKing
Summary: The Gods have challenged each other. Skorm raises an army of darkness, ready to destroy all of Albion, while Avo trains a handful of heroes in secret. They will lead Albion's armies, but will it be enough to stop Skorm in his evil crusade? R&R Please.
1. The Dreams

Chapter 1: The Dreams

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_The ground turned a sickly black as the hooded figure glided over it, and the air seemed to sizzle and burn as air moved past him; Above the ground, in his wake, sat a black mist that swirled around him. He was moving slowly, but gracefully, soaking in the feeling of accomplishment that ravished his mind. The hooded figure stopped outside a tall, dark and ominous building. He tilted his head to take in the grandness of it._

"_Finally, after centuries, the seeds have been sown… and Avo has accepted my challenge…" He said in his ominous gravel voice._

Garrett woke from his sleep quite suddenly, drenched to the bone with cold sweat. He had never had a nightmare that strong and life like. Garrett felt as though he could feel the hooded man breathing on him while he spoke. He wiped his brow, , and threw his blanket off to one side. He slowly stood up as his eyes adjusted to the dark. It was still dead of night, and the town of Knothole was still fast asleep.

He walked up the stair case in his house, and emerged on the balcony overlooking the town. The sky was clear, as it was during the middle most part of the summer, and shone bright with thousands of stars, and one giant moon. The town was almost completely still, besides a few guards patrolling around the town, and some patrons of the tavern coming and going.

His straight brown hair was cut in it's usual style, falling right to his brow. He liked having it long, but he decided never to let it grow longer than his sisters. His brown eyes shone in the moonlight, and the soft glows of the street lamps. He stood a tiny bit taller than most of the kids at school, and was stronger than most of them as well.

The balcony was Garrett's safe spot. He could look out at the town and know he was safe no matter what happened. He was the youngest son of the town's mayor, Jophi, and part of a very long bloodline of heroes. His mother, Black Sophie, was one of the stealthiest but most diverse heroes the guild has ever known. She trained under the famous Arrow Dodger himself for a while, and learned much from his teachings. It's because of this, that the guild has wanted Garrett, his sister, and two brothers to come to the guild early. However, both Sophie and Jophi thought it would be best to wait, however.

Garrett's oldest brother, Brain was currently training at the guild. Being about 17, he was close to becoming a full hero, and becoming an adult. The middle brother, Taylor, was 12, and just a few days away from starting his training as well. Garrett, being ten at the time, wasn't able to go yet. His Mother and Father wanted him to wait until he turned 12, just like his brothers.

Alexia was Garrett's younger sister, being only seven. However, there was something remarkable about this little girl. Even being as young as she, her use of the Will was extraordinary. She couldn't do anything too taxing, but her powers manifested in other ways. Mostly, her power comes from dreams, and her ability to sometimes foretell the near future. However, most of these dreams often turned into nightmares for poor Alexia. She was inexperienced, and couldn't control these dreams.

This is why Garrett wasn't surprised when he heard the shuffling of little feet coming up the stairs. He looked back and saw Alexia dabbing at her swollen eyes. She never made any sound when she had nightmares, but she cried every time it happened.

When she got up to the balcony, Garrett could see her golden brown hair tied back in pig tails, and her blue eyes were shimmering from the light and the tears pouring out of them. He kneeled down in front of her, and pulled her in for a hug. They held the embrace for a few moments, and then Garrett let go and looked her straight in the eye.

"Is everything ok now Alex?"

In her soft spoken, little girl speech, she answered, "I think so… I had another nightmare Garrett! It was horrible!" She started crying softly again, so started wiping her tears away.

"It's ok… It's ok. It's all over now. You've been having a lot of nightmares lately. Can I ask what it was about?"

"I guess so…"

With that, he sat down and let her sit on his lap. He put his arms around her, and just let her get the dream off her chest.

"It was really dark. Darker than black! Then I heard this man's voice. It said something about Avo, but I can't remember what it was. He scared me. It felt like he was talking right to me. I'm so scared Garrett…"

Garrett didn't know quite what to say at first, for he was worried himself. While she had been talking, his body clenched up in shock and concern. They had nearly the same nightmare, and he was greatly worried about that. He didn't want to worry his sister though.

_Alright, calm yourself down. Everything is going to be ok. You can talk to Dad in the morning._

"Shh…. It's ok. Everything's ok now. Nothing will happen to you, I promise. I have to watch out for you, remember? Once Taylor leaves, it's just going to be you and me. Don't worry."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now you should probably go back to sleep, ok? These next few days are going to be big. I love you little Alex."

"Alright. Love you too big brother. Night."

"Night."

With that, Alex scrambled out of Garrett's lap, and sauntered off back into the house. Garrett was left all alone, so he got to his feet and looked out at the Knothole night. After a few moments, he decided to go back to bed as well.

His dreams were more peaceful, but he tossed and turned throughout the rest of the night.


	2. Partings and New Friendships

Chapter 2: Partings and Meetings

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Around six the next morning, Garrett woke to the smell of his father's cooking. He emerged from the hall, rubbing sleepers out of his eyes, and sat down at the table. The bags under his eyes sank low into his face, and his muscles were stiff from the various sleeping positions he was put through during the night. When the food was placed in front of him, he began eating faster than he probably should have. His father, Jophi, attempted to keep him from choking.

"Woah! Slow down Garrett! Yer going to choke if you keep eatin' like that!

"Sorry father," Garrett said, putting down his fork, "I'm just extremely hungry."

Jophi was a man who could read any person with just a few short glances, and know almost everything there is to know about the man. This, along with his sheer massive strength, and calm demeanor, made him a great choice for mayor and town chief. The title of mayor had been passed down for generations of Jophi's family, and would continue to one of his three sons. He twisted his beard, and looked at Garrett with concern in his eyes.

"Yea had a nightmare last night, didn't yeah?

"Yeah… I did." Garrett looked a little sheepish. "Did I wake you?

"No, I hadn't fallen asleep yet. I was in my room lookin' over some things, and then I heard yea talking in your sleep. When you were done, I heard yea get up and go to the balcony. Then I heard Alex follow you up there. Were you two ok?"

Garrett thought about it, and decided not to tell his father just yet about the dream.

"Yeah, she had a nightmare too. It was nothing bad though. I gave her a hug, and then she went back to bed."

"Aye, I heard." Jophi wasn't entirely convinced, but he sense he wasn't getting any more out of his son right yet. "So, I have a few errands for you to run today. Sound good?"

Garrett resumed his eating. "Well, it depends on what the errand is."

"Well, I need someone to run down to the smithy, and pick up a few things that I've ordered for your brother. Then I also need you to pick something up for Alex. It's her birthday, remember?"

_Actually, I had completely forgotten._ "That's right! Ok, I can do that."

"Alrighty then, here's some gold for the smithy, and here is some gold for a present. See you later!"

"Alright! See you later father!" Garrett stood up from his chair and walked back to his room. He took off his sleeping shirt, and put on a clean, tan tunic, and then grabbed his green and brown jacket from the floor. He rushed out side, and then finally looked at the bag of gold his father had given him. Inside was around 1,000 gold. He hadn't noticed the weight of it until now.

He was just excited to see Stan, the blacksmith. Now he was eager to see him, and what he has for Taylor. So he put the bag of gold into his pocket, and then started off down the road to town.

Garrett looked around at everything. The town had grown in the past few years, allowing more jobs and families to come live Knothole Glade. More houses and a few more buildings sprang up in just a few years after Arrow Dodger faced Jack of Blades in the Northern Wastes.

As Garrett was looking around, he caught a glimpse of Alex playing in the school yard.

_I wonder what I should get her…_ He thought. Then, an idea sprang into his head. He would sneak over, and try to hear what Alex and her friends were talking about.

He snuck on over, using some of the techniques his mother had told him about. He was getting pretty good at it. When he was about five meters away, he could make out what the girls were talking about. He decided to stop, and just listen.

"…And then I got the new Jack of Blades doll! It's a dragon! See!"

"Aww… I haven't gotten that on yet," Said Alex, "but I think I want the new Arrow Dodger doll more though! Then we can battle! That'd be so cool…"

Garrett had heard enough. _That was too easy._ He said to himself as he walked away.

He started walking down the road, humming to himself. He was near the tavern, when out of nowhere a young boy ran up and talked him. He brought Garrett to the ground, and held him for a few seconds.

"Say it!" said the boy?

"Never!"

"Come on! Say It!" The boy put Garrett in a headlock, ad squeezed really tight.

"Not. A. Chance!" Garrett said in between breaths. Finally, with a good lunge, he managed to roll forward, knocking the boy off of him, and allowing him to get to his feet. He ran up while the kid was on the ground, and put him into a headlock as well.

"Now you say it! Come on!" He said with a huge grin on his face.

"Fine! Fine, you win! Uncle!" said the boy.

With that, Garrett let go, and helped the boy get to his feet. The boy stood up and brushed off the dirt from his green tunic and black shorts. He stood a few inches taller than Garrett, and had blond hair that usually hung down to his chin, but today it was tied back in a tiny pony tail, with a few strands hanging loose. The boy was Garrett's childhood friend, Jason. He looked at Garrett, and they both started laughing.

"Holy cow, how did you do that cool roll thing?"

"I learned it from some of my Dad's friends down at the Fist Fighter's arena. I'll teach it to you later, if you want."

"Sure man! That'd be awesome!"

"Sweet! Hey, wanna come down to the smithy with me? I have to pick up some stuff for my brother Taylor."

"Yeah, sounds great! Let's go!"

With that, they continued walking down to the smithy. They passed through the hordes of people flitting through the town. They passed a few people whom they knew, and even more people they knew but disliked. The two boys were inseparable, and caused some mischief around town from time to time. It was never anything too extreme, just annoying to some citizens.

When they saw the banners that some people were carrying, and that were being put up around town, they started getting really excited. The banners symbolize the coming of Albion's greatest festivals. The Summer Fest was coming, and it only happened every four years.

The reasoning for it being so popular is the fact that it's one of the rare times the Arena is open to most heroes. Usually heroes need permission to enter the Arena events, but during the month long celebration, any hero can come and enter one of the many tournaments.

They have archery competitions, will competitions, and of course, combat events. The combat tournament is split into four divisions; Light, Medium, Heavy and Team Battles. Based on age, skill and sanity, a hero, and any fighter for that matter, may enter any of the four divisions. Most stick to the Light and Medium divisions. Only the truly powerful, cocky, or insane heroes try in the heavy division.

In the lower classes, deaths are extremely rare, but in the heavy class, they can happen fairly often. In the event of a death, the person is given a funeral in the arena itself, and allowed to be buried with some of the greatest arena champions ever. It's because of these reasons, that there is an age requirement to watch these events. You have to be 13 years of age to watch, and at least 19 to participate in the events.

The boys often simulated what they thought the arena would e like, and would talk about it often. Seeing the banners got them energized, and soon talking about the festival.

"Oh man I can't! It's going to be exciting! Even if we can't see the arena, we can still eat so much food!" said Jason.

"Oh I know! The food is amazing. I still can't wait for the arena though…" Garrett started, "Which reminds me, do you remember our agreement?"

Jason glanced at Garrett with, "Duh!" eyes.

"Of course I do Garrett! How could I forget?"

"Just making sure. I didn't want you to turn 22 and then flake out on me!" Garrett said with a laugh.

They turned back to the road, and continued walking.

The street was busy with carriages carrying an assortment of goods, and items for the upcoming festival. They ducked under a few of them, and passed by the rest. Eventually a guard saw them and decided to make sure they got across safely. He walked out in front of the carriages, forcing them to stop, and allowed the boys to move on by.

"You two watch out, okay? Yea' don't want to en' up underneath one o' them, now do yea'?" The guard said.

"No sir." replied the boys with a wave and a smile.

They continued on into the smithy's shop, where Stan was working. He was a gruff looking man. He had a tattoo of a dragon on one arm, and an ancient swirling design on the other. He carried a few scars from his fighting days, which made him look even scarier. He was one of the nicest people in town, though, and had always been kind to Garrett and Jason in particular.

He glanced up from the sword he was looking on, noticing both Garrett and Jason standing there.

"Well 'ello you two! How 'ave you been ?" He said with a friendly voice.

"We've been good Stan, how about yourself?" replied Garrett.

"I've been good, just working on this old sword here. Mr. Patrel wanted it sharp, but it may take a bit more than a sharpenin' to get this thing good as new again. What can I do fer yea'?"

"Well Stan, my father sent me down here to pick up some stuff for my brother. He didn't mention what it was, but he gave me a hefty amount of gold for whatever it is."

"Ah! I know just what it is. Come on over here boys, I've got it right here on this shelf."

Stan walked over to a shelf in the corner, and the boys followed suit. He reached up and pulled down a bundle of Leather Armor, and a small dagger that had a special scabbard sewn in on the upper left arm piece. Both Jason and Garrett stared in awe for a moment.

"Alright! Here yea go. Now, if your father asks, I've made a few little upgrades to this armor. You see, I've reinforced it in areas that are more likely to get strained by swords. But you can't directly tell that it's hiding an extra layer of protection, _and_ it weighs a little more than both of your coats put together. I think both your father and Taylor will be pleased with this gift."

"That's so cool! Wow, it really is pretty light," Garrett said, while taking the armor from Stan's hand. "Now, how much is it going to cost?"

"About 675 gold pieces son."

"Alright, here you go then." Garrett quickly counted out the gold, and handed it over to Stan. He graciously accepted it, and put it in his gold sack on the shelf.

"Thank you Garrett, now you run along and get that armor back to your father. Don't let Taylor see it yet though! I was told it is a surprise!"

"Alright Stan, I promise. We'll see you later!"

"Ok, take care! Say good bye to your brother for me!"

"Will do, bye Stan!"

"Bye boys!"

With their farewells, the two headed back to the main road. Garrett explained to Jason that he had to get a gift for his sister, so when they saw a man carrying a bursting sack with goods and a remarkable trader mustache, they walked quicker. When they had caught up with the trader, Garrett pulled on his shirt a little bit.

"Why… Hello there! What can I do for you?" the trader asked, in a very business like voice.

"Well sir, my sister's birthday is in a few days, and I was wondering if you had that new Arrow Dodger doll that people have been talking about?" replied Garrett, also entering a business like state of mind.

"I do indeed! But it's a bit of a hefty price for such a small thing…"

"Well, how much then?"

"How much do you have?"

"About 150 gold sir."

"Hmm, that may be a problem… I can't seem to go any lower than 200…"

"What about 175?"

"Maybe. 195?"

"180, and I can't honestly go any higher."

The trader thought about it for a moment, pulling his mustache out to the side like it's styled to do. After a few moments, he shrugged, "I guess that'll have to do. Here yea go boy. But before you go, I need a favor."

Garrett started counting the gold, "Alright, what's the favor?"

"Would you point me in the direction of the tavern? I'm in need of a few drinks."

The trader smiled, and took the gold. Garrett smiled back, and then pointed up the hill towards a high pointed building that had been in place for many, many years. They waved, and parted ways.

Jason and Garrett started heading back towards the hill where both of them lived, when they noticed a small house across from the tavern had been sold. They walked closer, and saw that the family had just bought it earlier in the day, and were starting to move in. They watched for a few seconds until a girl, just about their age, walked out of the house, and stood around. She was taking in her surroundings, but when she saw Jason and Garrett looking at her, she blushed. Even from the distance they were at, they could clearly see it.

The girl tried to go back inside, but her mother had just appeared, and saw Jason and Garrett. She motioned the girl towards them, and whispered something to her about making new friends. With that, the girl reluctantly agreed and started walking towards the boys. She had beautiful blue eyes, even at that young of an age, and her silky smooth black hair hung down to her shoulders.

When she was just a few feet away, Garrett held out his hand.

"Hello! My name's Garrett and this is Jason. We live just up the hill." He said, with a friendly smile. The girl took his hand, feeling a little more confident.

"Hi, I'm Sarah. My family just moved in." She said in a sheepish voice.

"Oh really? That's cool, where are you guys moving from?"

"From Hook Coast."

"Really! That's awesome! Maybe you could tell us stories sometime!"

"Yeah! That'd be cool! I'd love to."

"Sweet! We'll all hang out sometime then! Right now we have to go though, good luck with moving in!"

"Thank you! See you around!"

"See ya."

They parted ways, and when the boys were out of ear shot, they started talking with excited voices.

"Oh man she was pretty!" Jason said.

"Oh I know! Her eyes are really nice." replied Garrett.

Their conversation continued until they got to the school yard, where Alexia was playing. When she saw her big brother, she ran on over and gave him a big hug. She gave Jason a big hug as well.

"Hey guys! How are you doing?"

"We're doing good." Jason replied.

"Yeah, we just had to go into town to get some stuff for dad. Hey! I've got a present for you. Close your eyes." Garrett chimed in, hiding the doll behind his back. Once her eyes were closed, he put the doll into her hands, and told her to open her eyes.

When she did, she nearly lost them with how big they got. She squeezed Garrett really tightly, and after a happy birthday from both the boys, she ran off to show off her new toy to her friends.

The boys took this as their cue to leave, and headed back to the top of the hill. When they got there, they parted ways, for Jason's mother had called for him to come home and eat dinner. They said their good byes, and parted.

When Garrett reached his house, he opened the door and strolled in to find his father sitting at the table.

"Hey father! I've got the armor you wanted, and I got a present for Alex." He said.

"That's my boy. Thank you so much. You've really helped me out today. Say, keep 50 gold for yea self, ok? There's a good lad."

"Thank you father! Hey, when do you think Mom will be home?"

"I think it'll be pretty soon. Any minute is more like it."

Before Garrett could reply, he was grabbed from behind and placed in a huge hug. When he was released, he turned around to find his mom smiling. Her red and black streaked hair hung down to her shoulders, and her brown eyes matched Garrett's. Garrett gave her a huge squeeze, and a kiss on the cheek.\

"Mom! How have you been? I've missed you so much!"

"I know honey, I know. I'm home though, for now. Oh my, you have grown. I'm sorry I haven't been there much for you in the past couple years, but that's going to change soon. I'm getting a year to relax after my next quest."

"You have another quest?! Really? What is it?!"

"I can't quite tell you right now, and it's partly because I'm not entirely sure yet. I'll tell you about it when I get home though. I promise."

"Ok, sweet!"

With that, Garrett let go, and went to put his jacket in his room. When he returned, he found Alex had come home, and was getting her share of hugs. They waited until Taylor got home to really start talking.

Sophie was talking about her latest quests, and a little about her current one. She didn't know much about what was going to happen, just that a few heroes were going along with her. She wasn't worried though, so everyone felt a little calmer.

Finally, they started talking about Taylor, and his leaving. Garrett and Alex were starting to get sad, and anxious about his leaving. They decided that it was enough for one night, and that they needed a good night's sleep before the big day. So, with a final hug and kiss, Alex, Garrett and Taylor all went to bed.

Garrett slept a little better this night, than he had the night before. He still tossed and turned, but he felt fairly well rested in the morning. Even Alex slept well, escaping her nightmares for the night. They woke to their father's cooking, and decided to get dressed to check out what was for breakfast.

He walked out of his room to find Taylor already in his leather armor. Apparently he couldn't wait to put it on after he had been given it. The whole family ate together and hardly talked. They were all emotional about Taylor leaving the house.

When the time came though, everyone stepped up to give him a hug.

"Take care little brother. And watch out for our little Alex for me, ok?" Taylor said with his deeper pitched voice. He grasped Garrett and hugged him for a second.

"I will man, don't worry." Garrett replied once they let go.

After giving her brother a hug, Alex walked over to Garrett and took his hand. They watched as Taylor gave his father a hug, and then as their mother walked up and hugged him as well. She kissed him, and then whispered something into his ear. Their father looked at her with understanding, and a little worry. He had to appear strong for the family though, so he disguised it quickly after.

Sophie took Taylor by the hand, and waved good bye to Jophi and her two kids. The pair started walking down to the Cullis Gate, and when they were out of sight, Jophi turned back and went inside.

Alex soon followed after her father, with a few tears in her eyes. Garrett, however, stood there for quite sometime. He didn't hear what his mother had told his father, but he knew it wasn't good. His father's face had betrayed that much information to him.

_Whatever it is, I know she can survive it._ He thought to himself. With that, he went inside. Later on, during the night, he awoke from another nightmare. After his initial panic, he gradually went back to sleep. His peaceful dreams were seldom interrupted after that. However, when they were, the nightmares he'd have would stick around for a long while.


End file.
